European Adventure

As Benet's outstanding Social Studies student, you have been awarded a grant to study abroad for a semester. Benet's only requirement is that you spend your time visiting historically significant sites. To assist you, I have selected five significant works of art of the Renaissance period that must be visited. Your quest is to locate the specific site of each these famous works, plot your route to visit these sites on a map of Europe that you download and print out, and calculate the total miles that you traveled in your quest. Your journey begins and ends in London, England. Finally, to get an introductory sense of these works of art, answer the simple questions that appear below and on the worksheet that has been provided. Bon Voyage!

Click on an image to take you to the specific task. It would be wise to go in proper sequence:

Task 1
Download an outline map of Europe by going to Outline Map of Europe. This map will be used to plot your journey. You may also need to consult a more detailed map of Europe to assist you in locating specific cities. There is an excellent collection of World Maps at European Rail Maps.

Task 2
Use Distance Calculator to compute the distances between your sites.

Task 3
Locate the present site of Jan Van Eyke's famous Renaissance portrait entitled "The Marriage of Arnofini". To assist you, visit Renaissance Works of Art. To help you answer the following questions, it will be necessary to "click" on the image to enlarge it.

What is unusual about the way in which Jan Van Eyck signed his name?
Looking closely into the mirror in the background, indicate what you see? It will be necessary to click on the image of the Convex mirror.
Why does the dog play such a prominent position in the work of art?
Did you plot this site on your map?

Task 4
From "The Marriage of Arnofini", visit what many consider to be the definitive Renaissance work of art, Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait entitled the "Mona Lisa". Wander to Renaissance Works of Art.

What is the painting medium of the Mona Lisa? (Is it a fresco, watercolor, charcoal, or something else.)
What is sfumato and where does one see this artistic technique best represented?
What is unusual about the horizon line in the painting?
Don't forget to calculate your distance.

Task 5
From the Mona Lisa, head to my favorite Renaissance work of art, Raphael's "The School of Athens". Check out
The School of Athens.

Who are the two key figures represented in the vanishing point of this work of art?
The figure in the foreground with his back to the two main figures in the painting is suppose to represent one of Raphael's major artistic rivals. Who is he?
Rather than sign his work of art, Raphael merely painted himself in his fresco. Where in the painting is he located?
Don't forget to calculate your distance.

Task 6
From "The School of Athens" depart for Michelangelo's "David". Why not check out
Michelangelo at WebMuseum.

How tall is the statue of David?
Why did Michelangelo select David as the subject for this impressive work of art?
Don't forget to calculate your distance.

Task 7
Before returning to London, Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" is a "must see". The site you want to explore is Leonardo da Vinci - Artist. and WebMuseum.

What artistic techniques does Leonardo use to force us to focus on the central figure of Christ?
Why did the fresco deteriorate so rapidly after its completion?
Have you forgotten to calculate?

The Final Product:
Students will hand in the completed worksheet, a map of Europe with the route of their quest plotted out, and the final distance in miles of their completed journey. In addition, I would like to know which Renaissance work of art intrigued you the most.